


Fall-la-la-la-la-ing

by asiannoodles



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Holidays, M/M, Romance, Snow, minhyuk is That guy, this turned out a little more ridiculous than planned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 20:59:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12872904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asiannoodles/pseuds/asiannoodles
Summary: Changkyun thinks there's a right time and place for everything. But asking Minhyuk out now is like singing Christmas carols in November -- as in, it was not the right time or place at all.





	Fall-la-la-la-la-ing

Changkyun knew lots of people that loved Christmas. Hell, _he_ also loved Christmas. It was a great time of year filled with friends, family warm sweaters and even warmer drinks. It was a time of year where Changkyun could break out the handknit scarves that his grandma had made him. And it was the time of year when his neighbors all liked putting out their Christmas lights and decorations. Changkyun loved this time of year.

The only problem was, it wasn’t _quite_ that time of year yet. And his neighbor was already putting up lights and singing carols.

“It’s still _November.”_

A laugh came from the other end of the phone held at his ear before it crackled out, _“You gotta hand it to him -- he’s committed to festivities.”_

“Yeah, but it’s _November,”_ Changkyun repeated, gazing out his window in concern. “Jooheon, it’s not even December yet and he’s already putting up lights. And he’s already blasting Christmas songs.”

_“How is he doing that?”_

“He brought these giant speakers outside as he sings.” Changkyun rolled his eyes. “Well, more like screams because he’s offkey.”

_“You mean like the way you are during karaoke night?”_

“Man, shut the hell up.”

Jooheon laughed loudly. _“Which neighbor is it? Is it that girl who lives with like… twelve other girls?”_

Changkyun blinked momentarily. “I don’t have any neighbors like that.”

_“Oh-- forget I said that then. Who is it then?”_

“Um,” Changkyun murmured, peeking through his curtains again. “He’s the cute one.”

_“Oh, it's Lee Minhyuk isn’t it?”_

“Well, yeah--”

Jooheon interrupted, _“Why haven’t you asked him out again? Haven’t you been staring at this guy for like-- months?”_

"What?!" Changkyun exclaimed, turning away from his window. "I haven't been staring at him!" He paused. "For months!"

"But he is cute though, isn't he?"

"Well, _yeah--"_

 _"Then ask him out!"_ Jooheon told him. _"Easy as that."_

Changkyun huffed. "I can't ask him out."

_"Why not?"_

"Because he does shit like this!" Changkyun gestured to the image outside his window, as if Jooheon could see how ridiculous his neighbor looked screaming Christmas carols while hanging out multicolored lights.

Lee Minhyuk was some guy Changkyun had been living across from for a couple months now. He had moved in by himself during the early spring and Changkyun's initial thoughts had been that he was really, really attractive. They had met once at a neighborhood barbecue during the summer but they hadn't talked much past the obligatory _'How long have you been here for?' 'Oh, nearly a year now?' 'Oh, how nice!'_

It wasn't that Changkyun hated small talk, but he wished there was something more to talk about with Minhyuk. Especially since Minhyuk was always so friendly and nice, waving at him when he went to pick up his mail and offering to help Changkyun carry in his groceries. So, Changkyun supposed that he had plenty of chances to strike up a conversation with Minhyuk. But for whatever reason, all his words always got stuck in his throat whenever he looked at Minhyuk's sparkling eyes and bright smile.

Changkyun couldn't begin to count the amount of times he had called Jooheon to tell him about how he had frozen and just stammered some words along the lines of _'oh no thanks, I'm good'_ and scurried away with his cheeks flushed bright pink in embarrassment, leaving a confused Minhyuk behind.

So he guessed Jooheon was right in a sense -- he had been staring at Minhyuk for months. Sometimes he felt like he had enough courage in his heart to push his embarrassment to the side and ask Minhyuk out for a cup of coffee or something. Especially in this cold weather, there was no better time to ask someone out on a date.

But then Minhyuk did something like this -- this being the fact that he was skipping around his house, putting up lights and shrieking carols despite it still being November. And Changkyun would have loved to ask him out but the second hand embarrassment of watching Minhyuk being this prematurely festive paralyzed him.

_"Just ask him out! It's probably more ridiculous that you're staring at him through your window than marching over and asking him out for hot chocolate or something."_

“There is a time and place for everything,” Changkyun said calmly. He peeked out his window again and bit back a sigh. “And right now is not the time or place for anything.”

_“Like how it’s technically not the time or place to be singing carols and hanging up lights, right?”_

Changkyun huffed into his phone. “What are you trying to say?!”

_“I’m saying that if he can sing Christmas carols in November, you can ask him out on a coffee date right now!”_

“Jooheon, I can’t!” he hissed. “And that’s not the point! The point is that he looks ridiculous!”

“Like you’re any less ridiculous?”

Changkyun only sighed as he stared out his window again at his neighbor. Minhyuk, in his eyes, was all versions of attractive -- even now, as he hung up Christmas lights in November. His black hair was so prominent against the background of white snow as he skipped around, singing Deck the Halls. He was dressed in a big fluffy jacket, looking like a penguin while he dragged a string of lights out from his front door. Christmas carols were still blasting loudly from his house and Changkyun didn’t know how none of the neighbors minded. But then again, maybe they were just like him and didn’t want to say anything.

“Honestly, Jooheon,” Changkyun said, watching as Minhyuk propped a silver ladder against his house. “If I ever pluck up the courage to ask Minhyuk out, you’d probably have to stab me first.”

 _“Why?”_ Jooheon asked.

“I would need to be dying to ask him out,” Changkyun deadpanned, his eyes still trained on Minhyuk. He could hear his feet plunk against the metal ladder steps even from inside his own house. “Or, one of us would have to be dying.”

_“Calm down, edgelord. It’s not that hard.”_

Changkyun groaned. “But it is! You don’t know, Jooheon, you’ve never seen Minhyuk! He’s so handsome and nice and smiley! He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met, he’d never date me!”

_“Well, you won’t know until you ask, will you?”_

“You’re no help.”

_“No, you’re no help -- you’re the one who keeps refusing.”_

Rolling his eyes, Changkyun said, “Jooheon, the day I go over willingly to talk to Lee Minhyuk and ask him out is-- _OH MY GOD.”_

Changkyun could hear Jooheon fall out of his chair slightly as he asked rapidly, _“What?! What happened, Changkyun, are you alright?!”_

“I’m fine!” Changkyun yelled as he bolted up and out of his room. “Minhyuk just fell off of his fucking ladder!”

_“What?!”_

“He’s just lying there face down in the snow, oh my god, Jooheon, what if I just watched him die?!” Changkyun nestled his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he pulled on a warm jacket and his snow boots. “Holy shit, please don’t be dead.”

_“Are you just going to stare at him?!”_

“Of course not, I have to go check on him! I am a good citizen!”

 _“Did he just fall?”_ Jooheon asked as Changkyun rushed out his door.

“He was singing, louder and louder, and then he lost his balance and--! He fell right off! His ladder ended up falling too!” he exclaimed as he ran out. He looked across the street once before dashing across it and towards Minhyuk who lay still on the ground, the sound of Christmas carols still blasting in the air.

_“Well then, this is the perfect time to ask him out right? You did say one of you had to be dying--”_

“Not the time!” Changkyun groaned. “Anyways Jooheon, I’ll call you back later!” He hung up then, shoving the phone into his pocket as he nearly tripped to get to where Minhyuk was.

Minhyuk looked like a starfish and Changkyun had the fleeting suspicion that he really might be dead because no person could possibly survive belly flopping onto a snow bank from eight feet in the air.

“Hey! Hey, Minhyuk! Are you alright?!” Changkyun shouted as he knelt next to him. He shook his gently, dusting the snow off his hair. “Oh my god, please don’t actually be dead.”

It took maybe one or two seconds of Changkyun debating whether or not he should call an ambulance when Minhyuk’s head popped up, a bright smile on his face. Changkyun let out a shocked gasp but immediately went to brush the wet snow off of Minhyuk’s pink nose and cheeks, ignoring how fast his heart was beating at the moment.

“Oh, hi Changkyun,” Minhyuk said as he sat up. (And Changkyun’s heart skipped a beat because Minhyuk _remembered who he was._ ) “Took a bit of a nasty fall there.”

Changkyun blinked, his hands still pressed against Minhyuk’s face as he tried to wipe off the melting ice. “Are you alright?! You fell, like, eight feet!”

Minhyuk coughed, snow falling off his black hair like crystals. “Yeah, I’m okay I think. It doesn’t hurt but that just might be the adrenaline.” He grinned and laughed. “I’ll probably be in pain tomorrow.”

“You should probably still go inside and rest. You’re right, that fall was _nasty.”_

Minhyuk shrugged. “I’ll be okay.” He smiled and for a second Changkyun wasn’t sure if his heart dropped or if it was just the vibrations of Mariah Carey blasting through Minhyuk’s speakers that was shaking his body. “Besides, I should finish hanging up my lights.”

Changkyun sighed as he sat down in the snow across from Minhyuk. “It’s November.”

Minhyun pouted and said, “So? It’s still Christmas season! And it’s snowing, which means it’s officially the season for holiday spirit.”

“I guess…”

“You have to have lights!” Minhyuk exclaimed happily over the sound of songs blasting through his speakers. “Lights and decorations to really get into the spirit!”

“You can’t finish it now, you just fell off of a ladder!”

“That’s just a minor setback.” Minhyuk laughed and reached up to touch Changkyun’s hands on his face. His eyes widened suddenly as his fingers wrapped around Changkyun’s wrist. “Changkyun, your hands! They’re freezing!”

“Oh--”

“And you’re not even wearing a scarf--” Minhyuk looked at him in concern. He looked at his lights that were strewn across the snow and his fallen ladder and after a moment, he said, “...Do you want to come inside? You look cold and I guess I could take a break before trying to put up lights again.”

“What?” Changkyun murmured softly. He hadn’t even realize that the tips of his fingers were turning red from cold. “Oh-- Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose--”

Minhyuk grinned cheekily and stood up, taking Changkyun up with him. “Don’t worry -- I’ve got spiced apple cider on the stove. It’s always nicer to share it someone anyways.”

Changkyun was absolutely sure he would have blushed to death if not for the pure absurdity of Christmas carols still blasting from Minhyuk’s speakers. So instead, he just nodded and said, “Yeah. Yeah, I’d love to actually.”

Minhyuk’s smile was brighter than the snow as he turned off his speakers and pulled Changkyun inside. Minhyuk shook all the snow from his jacket and boots before stepping inside.

Changkyun followed him in and shucked his shoes off, making Minhyuk’s eyes widen some more.

“You’re not wearing socks? Changkyun, did you just run over here when you saw me fall from your window?”

Changkyun’s face flushed intensely. “What--! What do you mean--”

Minhyuk winked. “You’re not as subtle as you think there, Changkyun.”

“Oh…” Changkyun looked down in embarrassment as he followed Minhyuk into his kitchen.

“It’s alright,” Minhyuk chuckled. “Gave me a reason to dress nice when I went to do errands! But you know…” he said softly, looking over his shoulder as he grabbed two mugs. “If you wanted to talk to me, you should’ve just done so.”

“Oh, I-- Um,” Changkyun stammered, feeling the tips of his ears go warm. He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah… That probably would have been easier. Than, uh… watching you. From… From my window.”

Minhyuk snickered as he ladled some of his spiced apple cider into the mugs. He put in some fresh cinnamon sticks and handed the warm mug to Changkyun, watching in delight as Changkyun’s face relieved at the warmth. “Yeah, that would have been much easier.”

Changkyun could hear Jooheon’s inevitable _I told you_ so echo in his ears as he sipped the cider. “Sorry…” he murmured. “I just didn’t know how to talk to you.”

Minhyuk smiled sweetly from behind his mug. “Sounds like I’ll have to be the one to strike up a conversation first next time. Isn’t that right?”

Changkyun coughed. “Yeah, I guess so.”

 _“Or,”_ Minhyuk sang, “we could skip all the formalities and you could go straight to owing me a favor. You know, for all these months you’ve just been _staring_ at me instead of talking.”

Blinking confusedly, Changkyun’s head tilted slightly as he asked, “...What kind of favor?”

  
  
  
  


“I helped him put up the rest of his lights.”

_“Wow. You were hanging up lights in November. Ironic.”_

“Yeah,” Changkyun laughed airily. “I guess the tables turned but… you know, it’s not that bad. Getting into holiday spirit early isn’t so bad, I guess.”

_“Especially when you’re doing it with Minhyuk, right?”_

“Shut up,” Changkyun hissed into his phone. He wiggled his feet that were warm from the socks Minhyuk let him borrow.

 _“Wasn’t it you who thought,”_ Jooheon said interestedly, _“that there’s a time and place for everything? And that November was not the time or place to be in holiday spirit?”_

Changkyun scoffed. “Don’t recall ever thinking that.”

_“Wow--”_

“Besides,” Changkyun murmured. He looked out his window to see Minhyuk getting his mail. He was wearing some flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers out in the snow. Minhyuk spotted him quickly, waving enthusiastically towards him and gesturing towards the lights on his house, mouthing how they were working perfectly. Changkyun felt his heart swell as he waved back.

 _“Besides what?”_ Jooheon prompted.

Changkyun shrugged and laughed. “Besides, there’s no harm in being festive in November.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> the only christmas fic of mine that is acceptable to post in november lol  
> anyways comments and kudos are appreciated :] <33 you can find me on twitter @_pokiwon
> 
> happy start of holiday season !! hohohohoho


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